Ivy never questioned these traditions. She had attended countless feasts as a kid. Enjoyed the dessert, hummed along the music and offered playful smiles to the grieving ones, hoping to make them feel better.
Tonight, however, Ivy wasn't that same naive girl anymore. She came to loathe the tradition that expected her to put on smiles merely hours after her grandma was put to rest.
Every sound grated against her nerves, cutting them raw under her cold skin. The music was deafening, lights made her dizzy and her stomach churned with the aroma of food lingering in the air.
Ivy's gaze moved helplessly across the courtyard. She was well aware of her state. She couldn't entertain guests like Emma and Luna Doris, couldn't bury her emotions beneath composure like Luke and even after years of
